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CNN Live At Daybreak

Wake-Up Call: North Korea Standoff

Aired January 10, 2003 - 06:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Some international diplomacy is going on in New Mexico after North Korea quits the nuclear treaty. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson this morning holds a second round of talks with two top North Korean officials. Tensions between Washington and Pyongyang escalated further, when North Korea announced overnight it is withdrawing from the Global Nuclear Arms Control Treaty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON, NEW MEXICO: I think as the administration has said, they're fully supportive of this effort, and I've been in touch with them, and I want to be able to help my country. But obviously, that's all I want to say now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Richardson is a former U.N. ambassador and U.S. energy secretary in the Clinton administration.

We want to see what Washington has to say about all of this. Our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel, has the scoop. She joins us for this morning's "Wake-Up Call."

Good morning -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Hey, you've talked to people on the Hill. How do the Republicans really feel about Bill Richardson's involvement in this?

KOPPEL: Well, actually, I've haven't talked to any Republicans since the announcement was made, but I was going to say, you know, you've heard of "citizen Kane?" Well, this is "citizen diplomat."

Bill Richardson really was an unexpected twist. We heard about it. Actually CNN learned about it before everyone else, and I called up and asked one aide close to Richardson if this -- you know, how it all came about. And he said that, in fact, the North Koreans had contacted Richardson shortly after that Tuesday announcement by the Bush administration that they would agree to talk to the North Koreans. And Richardson, who as you pointed out is no stranger to 11th hour diplomacy, said he'd be happy to sit down with the North Koreans. So...

COSTELLO: I know, Andrea, that the White House isn't objecting to this, but doesn't this constitute direct negotiations with North Korean officials?

KOPPEL: Sure, and in fact -- well, it's not a negotiation. We actually don't know what it is. We don't know what the North Koreans are going to say to Richardson. They only said that they wanted to talk with him. And so, the State Department gave special permission for them to travel 25 miles outside of Columbus Circle in New York to go to New Mexico.

COSTELLO: It's just so strange. So, he's meeting again today with the North Korean officials, right?

KOPPEL: Exactly. Yes, they met once last night, and they're meeting again today. As I said, we don't know what the North Koreans are going to say. We do know that Ari Fleischer at the White House yesterday said the only message that they want Richardson to deliver is the U.S. position, they're ready to talk, but they're not going to negotiate.

Having said that, one of my sources said, look, we are hoping that Richardson will tell the North Koreans that if they want -- you know, if they agree to freeze their nuclear program, we will consider one of their key concerns, and that's to put into writing a U.S. promise not to attack the north.

COSTELLO: And that's not negotiating, no, that's just talking!

KOPPEL: Not negotiating.

COSTELLO: Andrea Koppel many thanks to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired January 10, 2003 - 06:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Some international diplomacy is going on in New Mexico after North Korea quits the nuclear treaty. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson this morning holds a second round of talks with two top North Korean officials. Tensions between Washington and Pyongyang escalated further, when North Korea announced overnight it is withdrawing from the Global Nuclear Arms Control Treaty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON, NEW MEXICO: I think as the administration has said, they're fully supportive of this effort, and I've been in touch with them, and I want to be able to help my country. But obviously, that's all I want to say now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Richardson is a former U.N. ambassador and U.S. energy secretary in the Clinton administration.

We want to see what Washington has to say about all of this. Our State Department correspondent, Andrea Koppel, has the scoop. She joins us for this morning's "Wake-Up Call."

Good morning -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Hey, you've talked to people on the Hill. How do the Republicans really feel about Bill Richardson's involvement in this?

KOPPEL: Well, actually, I've haven't talked to any Republicans since the announcement was made, but I was going to say, you know, you've heard of "citizen Kane?" Well, this is "citizen diplomat."

Bill Richardson really was an unexpected twist. We heard about it. Actually CNN learned about it before everyone else, and I called up and asked one aide close to Richardson if this -- you know, how it all came about. And he said that, in fact, the North Koreans had contacted Richardson shortly after that Tuesday announcement by the Bush administration that they would agree to talk to the North Koreans. And Richardson, who as you pointed out is no stranger to 11th hour diplomacy, said he'd be happy to sit down with the North Koreans. So...

COSTELLO: I know, Andrea, that the White House isn't objecting to this, but doesn't this constitute direct negotiations with North Korean officials?

KOPPEL: Sure, and in fact -- well, it's not a negotiation. We actually don't know what it is. We don't know what the North Koreans are going to say to Richardson. They only said that they wanted to talk with him. And so, the State Department gave special permission for them to travel 25 miles outside of Columbus Circle in New York to go to New Mexico.

COSTELLO: It's just so strange. So, he's meeting again today with the North Korean officials, right?

KOPPEL: Exactly. Yes, they met once last night, and they're meeting again today. As I said, we don't know what the North Koreans are going to say. We do know that Ari Fleischer at the White House yesterday said the only message that they want Richardson to deliver is the U.S. position, they're ready to talk, but they're not going to negotiate.

Having said that, one of my sources said, look, we are hoping that Richardson will tell the North Koreans that if they want -- you know, if they agree to freeze their nuclear program, we will consider one of their key concerns, and that's to put into writing a U.S. promise not to attack the north.

COSTELLO: And that's not negotiating, no, that's just talking!

KOPPEL: Not negotiating.

COSTELLO: Andrea Koppel many thanks to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.